February is already here and love is in the air. Heart shaped candies fill the stores, lovey-dovey cards stock the shelves, and beautiful flowers bloom – all of this and more for 10x the usual price! …yay?

Whether you love Valentines Day or love to hate it. Whether you want to spoil your sweetie, spoil yourself, or simply eat some gosh darn chocolate covered strawberries then you’ve come to the right place!

Personally, (as much as I joke about the cost) I’m definitely a hopeless romantic, a sucker for love, and a fan of all things happily ever after. This Valentine’s Day is actually very special as this one my sweetheart and I will be celebrating as fiancés!

Just a few short days ago, my sweetheart and I got engaged out in Lake Louise, Canada during the Ice Festival. Surrounded by intricate ice sculptures, picturesque snow capped mountains, and the love of our family he popped the question.

And I ugly cried. Hard.

I’ll spare you the details, but I will say this…

It was perfect.

So in the spirit of all things love turn up “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” by Elton John, grab a bottle of wine, and prepare for a little romance.

Or at the very least, some good old gosh darn chocolate, caramel strawberries!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 lb of strawberries, washed and dried thoroughly

3/4 of a cup of your favorite chocolate chips

25 soft caramel candies (I used Werthers, but if you’re ambitious you can make your own caramel sauce. You’ll need about 1/2 a cup.)

Directions

To start, line a baking sheet with wax paper to lay the dipped strawberries on. Remember that the washed berries must be completely dry before dipping in order for the layers to stay on them.

Combine the soft caramel candies and heavy whipping cream into a bowl. Melt them together using either the double broiler method or simply the good ol’ microwave (I chose the latter). To melt in the microwave, be sure to stir the mixture every 15 seconds to avoid any burning.

Once fully melted, dip the strawberries one by one and place onto the prepared baking sheet – reheating the caramel mixture as needed for easy dipping. When all the strawberries are coated in caramel, transfer the sheet to the freezer for 10 minutes to let the caramel set.

Looking for an easier way to dip your berries? Place a toothpick in the top of each one for fully coated strawberries -minus the sticky fingers!

While the berries are cooling, start on the chocolate. Again, you can use either the double broiler mixture (which I usually prefer for chocolate) or the microwave again – just be sure to stir often to avoid burning!

Dip your caramel berries one by one into the chocolate mixture for one final coat.

Once that’s done, add any chocolate drizzle if desired and sprinkle with a pinch of finishing sea salt. For best results, add a tiny bit of sea salt overtop of the strawberry immediantly after you finish dipping or drizzling it in chocolate.

Now grab a nice glass of wine, your sweetie (…if you don’t mind sharing that is!), and dig in ’cause you’re done!

There we have it! A salty, sweet twist on chocolate covered strawberries!

Here I lay tucked into my bed, weak and sickly a mere day before New Years Eve. I’m surrounded by tissues, tea, and heat packs with my head so stuffy that I’m squinting just to see and my nose is running more than a leaky faucet.

I’m jumping back and forth between working, writing, googling how to get rid of a cold fast, and reminiscing on all those days I took for granted where I was able to breathe through my nose.

I’m not so good at relaxing – can you tell?

December has been the busiest month to date with my little growing business! With new interested stores to contact, promotional videos to shoot, Christmas orders to fulfill, Christmas markets to attend, and attempting to find at least one spare moment to write and cook is enough to leave my head spinning.

Pile on Christmas shopping, family visits, Christmas baking, and planning Christmas parties – you’ve effectively made a grown woman wish she could hibernate for the winter.

Could you imagine? Oh what a dream.

Honestly all this stress is likely why I am lying here in a mess of tissues with unbrushed hair and a relentless head cold in the first place.

But here I am typing away for two reasons:

1. Apparently I can’t chill the f*ck out

2. I honestly really, really love my little business (even the stressful times that come with being the boss). I love pushing, learning, growing, and I simply can’t wait to see how far The Humble Kitchen will go!

So thank you for cooking, growing, and being here on this little adventure with me !

Since its apparent I won’t be able to rest until this recipe comes out, let’s quit with the chit chat!

Looking for a different taste? Indulge in any sea salt you adore for a splash of color and a flavorful twist.

Directions

Split the berries between two wine glasses and set aside. If using frozen berries, let them sit out at room temperature for a few extra minutes while you tap your foot along to my guilty pleasure song.

(Oh come on, don’t pretend you don’t like it!)

Once the berries are thawed, combine the heavy whipping cream and maple syrup into a medium sized bowl. Whip the mixture until soft peaks form. Then, add in the vanilla extract and beat it once more until the vanilla is fully combined.

Scoop generous amounts of the whipped cream overtop of the berries.

Go ahead and lick the bowl… Nobody’s watching.

Sprinkle on a pinch of your preferred toppingthen grab your glass and get ready to indulge in a berry treat!

There we have it!

That’s all there is to this super simple, very berry treat. Dig in and enjoy!

When weekday dinners aren’t the bane of my existence… weekday side dishes are.

It always seems like the same rotating selection of 3 different dishes made to get your family to at least pretend they’re eating a couple of vegetables. Of course -let’s not kid ourselves here, green beans are the furthest thing from spicing up weekday dinners… but at least you get to arm yourself with another side dish in your roster.

Sometimes it’s the little things, like discovering a new recipe for supper that can make a long weekday night even a little bit better.

So despite being a rather uneventful dish, we can at least be grateful that this recipe is incredibly easy, fast (and my favorite part) relatively hands off -which means less stirring time and more time spent awkward kitchen dancing to “Dancing With The Devil’s Daughter” by Jo Hikk

Are you ready?

Lets get started.

Serves: 5 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups of green beans (fresh is best, but I just opted for what I had -which was frozen)

Get ready to grab your favorite pajamas, a big cup of tea (or wine, I mean who’s kidding who here), and pop that popcorn because your latest Netflix binges have never been so sweet (or should I say… salty?)

In just three simple steps, you can be well on your way to enjoying savory, buttery popcorn – with an added twist!

Hello Gourmet Popcorn, and Hello Riverdale Binges!

Step One

Pop the popcorn.

Step Two

Pour on the butter, if it’s not buttery already!

(So I mean technically, you could get gourmet popcorn in two steps. Winning!)

The Popcorn Monster

For hours and hours I gorged myself on gourmet popcorn and an unhealthy amount of Netflix to ‘test’ these delectable toppings (…or at least that’s what I told my family when they questioned me. I mean how else am I supposed to catch up on my soaps??). Several episodes and an overly full tummy later, I was confident enough to say that any of these salts will make a perfect addition to movie night snacking.

There was just one last test.

To ensure that these are certainly the best of the best, I invited a very special guest down to The Humble Kitchen for a late night taste test.

This furry little green monster is ‘Gurtie’, (a real deal popcorn monster) and she came by to help make gourmet popcorn for my family!

What do you think?

Will my gourmet sea salts pass this Popcorn Monsters test?

There we have it!

I sincerely hope you enjoy your new found gourmet popcorn, the goofy video, and our little green popcorn monster!

P.S. If you want to adopt your own Popcorn Monster, Cookie Monster, or Cuddle Monster then head on over to our friends at Give A Little Giggle. I promise you, these little monsters give more than just a little giggle – you’ll be rolling on the floor in no time!

If there’s one thing I miss while on a ketogenic diet it’s bread (and ice cream of course! Don’t remind me… I try not to think about it). There’s just something so delightful about the soft, delicate texture of a thick sandwich or the gentle crunch of toast in the morning.

So when it comes to eating a low carb diet, this recipe is a bread lovers dream!

At just 1.9 carbs a slice (compared to 15 carbs a slice for regular bread) we can once again go back to enjoying our morning toast, lunchtime sandwiches, or bread with our supper time soup.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t taste exactly like ‘normal’ bread. Unfortunately, the hunt for a low carb bread that tastes just like normal bread seems to be a recipe that illudes us all.

This recipe actually has the texture of banana bread, (but I mean – who doesn’t love banana bread anyway?) meaning that the bread is a bit denser than usual. However, it becomes the perfect addition to any dish where you want to enjoy the soft, heavenly goodness of bread – minus the carbs!

So what are we waiting for? Turn up “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac and let’s get started!

Directions

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and preparing an 8 x 4 loaf pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper.

Mix together the warm water and psyllium husks. Set aside. Together they will form a gel-like consistency while it sits.

(P.s. If you have access to a kitchen scale – use it! I know normally I just toss in ingredients and eyeball measurements …but not this time. It seems like that there tends to be different grain sizes for both psyllium husks and coconut flour, so for the best results -and the best coconut bread measure out those two ingredients!)

Place the rest of the ingredients into a large bowl (or a food processor -you lucky ducks!) and mix together until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Add the gel-like psyllium husk mixture and mix once more until evenly blended.

Spread the entire batter into the prepared 8 x 4 loaf pan and smooth the top. Place mixture onto the middle rack and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Seriously. That’s all it takes!

(now for the most important part)

To take out your warm, delicious Keto coconut bread and prevent it from collapsing:

First of all, there’s NO Peeking! Don’t open the oven before at least 45 minutes are up.

Once done, turn off the oven and open the oven door just a crack for 10 minutes. This will help the bread cool down slowly.

After those 10 minutes are up, open the oven door all the way and let it cool (still in the oven) for another 10 minutes.

Once again, after those 10 minutes are up – remove your warm bread from the loaf pan and lay it on it’s side until it has cooled completely.

Now grab some butter and get ready to enjoy this warm, heavenly low carb bread! You deserve it.

There we have it!

That’s really all it takes to create the perfect treat for us ketogenic bread lovers!

I hope you enjoyed it, because I’m honestly so excited about this recipe. I’ve already started dreaming of cheesy bread, garlic bread, and maybe even low carb banana bread – so stay tuned because I’m gonna share it all with you!

Whether you’re a seasoned pro looking for inspiration or brand new to the world of gourmet salts – we’ve got you covered. Together we’ll dip our toes into the world of smoked sea salt and tackle the number one question us foodies face:

…What am I supposed to do with this?

While the vast array of choices and flavors may seem overwhelming, the answer is actually rather simple:

Use them!

(Oh come on! I can see you guys rolling your eyes right now, but hear me out!)

There is no right and there is no wrong way to use these salts.

I’ve got friends who indulge in smoked salts breakfast, lunch, and dinner (7 days a week / 365 days a year -no joke) and others who only sprinkle smoked salt atop decadent desserts. The only limit is our own imagination… So go ahead – play with your food! Experiment with flavors! Push your boundaries! Try something new!

A Pinch For Breakfast

Start your day off right by embracing the hearty, campfire essence in your breakfast with a dash in your scramble or dusted over your eggs benedict. Pair with thick slices of avocado or crispy bacon to create a meal that will keep you full for hours!

Not ‘egg’-cited about eggs?

Try a pinch over warm, buttery pancakes for an irresistible combination of salty, sweet, and smokey – just like those from early morning lake days!

Vegatarian Substitute

This little piggy went to the market.

This little piggy stayed home.

This litt-

Wait. No. Times are changing, diets are changing, and more and more little piggies are no longer going to the market (unless they’re going to pick up some nice plump tomatoes, bright green romaine, a bit of fresh cucumber, and then going wee-wee-wee all the way home of course!)

Now you can embrace the bold flavor that bacon brings to the table – without the little piggy of course. Just a touch of smoked sea salt on deviled eggs, overtop a leafy green salad, or in a homemade vinaigrette dressing will give you that smokey, salty taste (and crunch!) of a bacon crumble -all while letting a little piggy stay home.

SMokey Snacks

For a savory snack try adding a dash to perfectly ripe sliced tomatoes, dust it over sautéed edamames, or indulge in smokey salt-roasted pumpkin seeds.

Looking for something a little sweeter?

Add a sprinkle over juicy melon, caramel apples, or a bowl of fresh fruit for a salty-sweet treat that will leave you wanting more!

Smokey Starches

As an avid potato lover…

I AINT GOT NO TYPE!

So (if you’re anything like me) go right ahead -mash, bake, boil, fry, roast, and dress up those bad boys with a hint of smoke!

Still need a little inspiration? Sprinkle smoked salt into baked sweet potatoes or onto a tried and true potato salad recipe. For both a sensory and savory overload, use it as a striking finish for rich, creamy pasta.

Wanna get fancy? (-but not too fancy am I right?) Try adding a pinch to good ol’ macaroni-and-cheese and watch as your family and friends revel in your new found gourmet cooking skills. Go on, take a bow.

Meats & MAins

Smoked sea salt brings a touch of the grill inside, and as such are most known for their role in a variety of meats and main dishes. From transforming homemade burger patties, to sealing in moisture and adding flavor to grilled chicken -the options are virtually endless. For even more flavor options, get creative and combine it with your signature blend of spices or use it as a smokey addition to homemade barbecue sauce.

Try using smoked sea salt as a dry rub for steak, poultry, pork, or fish for a main course that’s dizzyingly satisfying.

A Smokey Cocktail

While baby goats in pajamas may be the best thing since sliced bread (-no seriously. Google it), smoked salt may be best thing for the Bloody Mary since the pickle.

Sounds crazy, I know but hear me out.

The tomato and smoke blend together create an almost too perfect combination to shock and delight your taste buds. Try it (or better yet, try it while you google baby goats in pajamas) -you can thank me later.

Salty Sweets

Last but certainly not least comes my favorite flavor combination, the salty sweet.

Try adding a toasted crunch to salted caramel ice cream, or a bold smoke to hot buttery popcorn. Sprinkle atop delicate desserts like chocolate caramel strawberries or add a dash to warm chocolate chip cookies and dip them in milk!

Not quite your style? Go ahead and turn up the smokey by adding it to roasted peaches served with a bourbon syrup.

Here’s a recipe you’ll want to keep on the back burner -especially when it’s been one of those days…

You know the ones where all you want to do is put your feet up and pour yourself a generous glass of wine or maybe dig into a pint of cookie dough ice cream (I knew I’d be back for you ice cream!). But instead work kept you late again for the fourth time this week, you barely survive the traffic, you get home and the dogs are barking, the kids are screaming, your house looks like a tornado ripped through it, and you yourself are feeling hangry at best.

Have no fear cause this recipe is ready in less than half an hour so you can get back to what you wanted to do in the first place – put your feet up and binge Netflix

(can I get an amen?)

Pair this with a simple salad, mashed potatoes, or topped on a warm bowl of pasta and you’ve got a winning dish that didn’t leave you slaving over the hot stove. I myself paired this with cauliflower mashed ‘potatoes’ (a recipe that will be coming soon!)

P.S. The shrimp itself (minus the broccoli) makes for an incredibly easy, but savory appetizer. -Try it and you can thank me later!

Before we get started, there’s just a couple things I want to mention that will make this dish so much easier and tastier than it already is!

To get this show on the road and meal into the oven even faster toss frozen shrimp into a bowl of cold water shrimp in a bowl of cold water BEFORE doing anything else. The shrimp will thaw as you chop the broccoli and prep the baking dish. All you lucky ducks who plan ahead and already have thawed or fresh shrimp can skip this step.

Don’t shy away from the heat. I’m the kind of person who MAJORLY dislikes anything spicy so I was unsure about using chili flakes in this dish. However, in the end I’m extremely glad I did! It gave the dish more flavor with just a gentle touch of heat (one that won’t leave you with your mouth open looking like a panting dog!). If you’re hesitant about spicy foods, I urge you to try just a touch – you wont regret it! Of course, if you’re one of those people who LOVE spicy go crazy and pile it on there!

Alright, that’s enough chit chat – Let’s get on with it! Turn up (what feels like my personal theme song at the moment) “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” by Cage The Elephants and let’s get started.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheight. Then line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to make for an easy clean up.

In a large bowl toss together broccoli and half of the parmesan, olive oil, oregano, onion powder, and chili flakes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Mix together until the broccoli is evenly coated.

Place broccoli mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes.

While broccoli is cooking, toss together the shrimp and the remaining parmesan, olive oil, oregano, onion power, and chili flakes. Season with salt & pepper, then toss until the shrimp is evenly coated.

After 10 minutes, remove baking sheet from the oven and carefully add the prepared shrimp. Place back into the oven for 6-9 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through and opaque.

Then, grab a big plate and dish up cause dinner is served!

That’s all there is to this satisfying parmesan shrimp dish – thats all ready in less than 30 minutes! Now that was easy!

It’s been a busy couple weeks on my end, so I dearly apologize for being missing in action this past little bit. From creating The Humble Kitchen’s Gourmet Sea Salts, to going to markets, and trying to have a life outside of work – things got a little bit crazy.

But I’m back now!

So sit on down ladies and gents’ and get ready to hold onto your seats because I’m about to tell you through a rather shocking turn of events that took me from severe food sensitivites to healed skin and no longer avoiding or reacting to dairy at all!

(I always knew I’d be back for you, icecream)

While I was on the elimination diet, my skin was better than it had been in a long time. You can read the whole story here, but to save you some time I eventually discovered dairy was my skins #1 enemy (or so I thought). I avoided dairy like the plauge and went on with my life. For several weeks I was doing alright, but all too quickly I noticed the familiar redness creeping up -accomiapaned by tiny bubbles under my skin. My eczema had come back (albeit much more manageable than before) no matter how diligent I was with my dairy-free diet.

With my increasingly bubbling skin arose a crippling fear of what I once loved dearly – food. I was afraid of any food I didn’t make. Every restraunt dish felt like a game of roulette, and every meal my family members made was accompianed by 1000 questions before I was assured enough to eat.

This went on for several weeks, but eventually this summer at a family gathering (surrounded by food I was once again afraid to eat) -enough was finally enough. I was sick of being sick, and sick of being afraid of food. Armed with my emergency steroid cream – I binged, and indulged in everything from creamy pastas, to brownies and of course ice cream.

Needless to say: My sweettooth was happy, but my hands were not.

Days later, still armed with my emergency steroid cream and even more resentful towards my restricting diet, I decided to make a radical switch in my diet and dive head first into the world of Keto.

I had heard that a ketogenic diet can help reduce and manage inflammation –exactly the culprit I suspected behind this decieving disease. I figured that this could be the key to healing myself once and for all or at the very least I would enjoy food and dairy once again, even for a little bit.

A Ketogenic Diet is high in fat, moderate protien and very low in carbohydrates. An entire blog dedicated to this diet is coming soon, but for now let’s continue.

Terrified, but determined I jumped into a diet filled with my suspected eczema causing culprit and I emerged… better than ever before.

I no longer live in fear about whats in my food, and can once again go back to enjoying meals and cooking the way I once did before! So don on your apron, try your hand at some culinary sea salts, and meet me in the kitchen for even more fantastic, tummy happy recipes coming your way!

Health & Happiness,

Savannah

While the Elimination Diet didn’t yeild lasting results for me, doesn’t mean the diet is no good. Nor does it mean that Keto is the only diet to be on for eczema. On the contrary – everybody and every body is different. Our needs, stories, and journey to good health is ours alone. So take this life and explore, experiment, and never settle in both life and health.

Lastly, remember I am not an expert in these fields. I have based my writings upon my own experiences, opinions, beliefs and extensive research. See my fulldisclaimer, and always consult a health care professional for medical and health advice.

Fuel up your feathered friends with this simple 2 ingredient hummingbird nectar recipe! Admittedly, this article is a bit off side of my typical eczema or (mostly) healthy recipes… but my inner animal lover just couldn’t help herself!

(..kinda like my inner cookie monster… )

But hey!

Little birdies (like inner cookie monsters) gotta eat too!

Plus, what’s better than eating a nice, beautiful meal outside in the sunshine while listening and watching the birds?

Not much, thats what.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s turn up ” ” by and let’s get started! I know I don’t typically ‘jam out’ while doing DIY’s (and off side articles)… but I mean, we gotta boil and measure stuff… so that’s worthy of a sing-a-long!

P.S. Any major animal lovers out there? I adore feeding the birds and sitting outside just so I’m surrounded by more animals! Those little old ladies feeding pidgeons in the park? Thats me in the future (just kidding, thats me now).

Let me know in the comments how many animals you’ve got, or if you simply adore feeding the birds too!

Ingredients

4 cups of water

1 cup of white sugar

Directions

Start by combining both ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Allow the sugar to fully dissolve then remove from heat.

Let the nectar cool before transfering to your hummingbird feeder.

Store any remaining nectar in the refrigerator for later use

Sit back and enjoy the lovely little birds visiting you!

Red Dye In HummingBird Feeders

To dye or not to dye, that is the question.

(and a heated debate, a little birdie told me)

The greatest concern about red dye for birds comes from not only the chemical itself, but how much the birds will consume. Although nectar is not a hummingbirds only food source (insects being another part of their diet, and just another reason to keep these birds around), it does make up the majority of their diet.

While no research points to dye being dangerous to birds, there is also no long term research revealing it’s safe. However, it issafe to assume that a birds metabolism and nutritional needs vary greatly from humans. Although red dye has been approved by the FDA for human consumption, it’s best to avoid adding it to your backyard bird’s dinner.

On top of it all, it’s important to note that natural nectar is clear, thus adding red dye is simply a unneccesary additive.

Attracting birds without red dye

There are often complaints that hummingbirds won’t show up without red dye in the feeder. However this claim is unlikely. While hummingbirds do have a heightened sensitivity to red and yellow, unofficial studies have shown no preference to red over clear nectar.

Rather it is the sugar strength in the nectar, the cleanliness of the feeder, and distance away from percieved danger that play a much larger role in determining whether or not a hummingbird will feed at your feeder.

As for seeing red?

Some researches believe that the hummingbirds preference to red has become a conditioned response. After all, these little birds have an astonishing memory for the size of their brain -especially when it comes to food. They specifically seek out sources with the most energy (and with almost all commercial feeders being red), hummingbirds have began to anticipate high energy food when they see that color.

Rest assured that the red bases and floral decorations on your feeder will be more than enough to attract the birds. If desired, you can add additional red items nearby such as flowers, ribbons and ornaments to give your feeding area an added burst of color without any additional dyes!

Hummingbird Feeder Upkeep

To keep our birdies happy and coming back, we’ve got just a couple things to do regularily.

Change the nectar mixture every 3 – 5 days to keep the feed fresh.

Be sure to check over your feeder over for any mold, ants, or other creepy crawlies everytime you change the nectar.

To clean your feeder:

Rinse well with warm water

Put a few drops of bleach into the water in your feeder

Scrub with a bottle brush or a clean wash cloth

Rinse thoroughly with clean water and let air dry

Fill your feeder with fresh nectar

Set outside for your feathered friends

That’s all there is to this simple hummingbird nectar (and some easy feeder upkeep)! Enjoy seeing these birdies daily, especially when you sit out on your deck eating summer dishes like the Smashed Blackberry Salad or the Spinach Raspberry Salad!

Sticking with my new found edible flower obsession (that was sparked by the lovely Lilac Lemon Salad), these cookies mirror my three favorite things:

Edible flowers, lemon, and of course food!

So thus, right after finishing the beautiful Lilac Salad I quickly turned to the internet to order up some culinary lavender -specifically for these cookies. (On second thought, perhaps my love of edible flowers was just meant to be. I wanted to create these cookies months before The Humble Kitchen was born!)

Eager, I (not so) patiently awaited their arrival.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited -until finally the day came that these purple dried flowers arrived on my doorstep! (In all seriousness, it didn’t take that long. I’m just mega impatient.)

Like a child on Christmas Day I tore into the box and then (unlike a child on Christmas Day) got to baking! I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about how these cookies would turn out seeing as they don’t have any real dairy in them. After all, what’s a shortbread without it’s distinct buttery goodness?

To my surprise, delightful!

These cookies turned out not only stunning but absolutely savoury!

Cookie monsters, here’s a recipe to slow you down and keep you satisfied. This is not a cookie you can devour one after the other (my inner cookie monster already tried that…). Rather, these lovely cookies are to be enjoyed nice and slow as you discover hints of lemon and bursts of lavender.

So how about we slow it down. Turn up “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s and let’s get baking!

Lavender Cookies

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1 cup of dairy free butter, softened (I actually used a dairy free margarine, because again when you live in a small town you take what you can get… and it still turned out lovely! P.s. I know what you’re gonna say ‘Isn’t all margarine dairy free? ‘ Apparently not…)